Changes in Time
by Mira Kaiba
Summary: Dartz opens a porthole into another world to fulfill his evil plans to take over the world. Yami Mira, a priestess from the Pharaoh's time comes through and hides in the Millenium Key. Dartz's sister, Mira, is sent to an orphanage to spy on Seto who is ne
1. Prologue: The Gateway Between the Worlds

The Gateway Between the Worlds

PROLOGUE:

Listen. Can you feel it? Time is shifting. Something is happening. Could it be? Is the gateway opening?

The spirit form that was Yami Mira was startled from her deep thoughts by the shifting of time. She strained keenly, attempting to hear, or feel what was happening.

The door, the gate, it is opening...

It was time. Even though the gateway was going to and from another time and not hers, the magic was of the same sort. It was one of ancient magics, that of the lost city. It had been long since she had felt the lost magic, but now was her chance, and it could not wait. She could feel the force behind the magic. It was evil, menacing. Even if it had not been, she still would have done what she was about to do. It was clear that the pharaoh needed help. She had been exposed to the future, the past, and the present on all levels of the dimensions, and had learned of what was to come. She knew that the pharaoh had put his spirit into one of the millennium items, and now that a rift had opened, she could do the same. She let herself flow into time itself, through the portal, into the world from where the magic came. She slid into an enormous room filled with a great power that pressed her essence. She needed to get out, to locate one of the millennium items and settle. However, something caught her interest.

"Mira," came the commanding voice.

"Y-yes?" the small girl responded.

"It is time. I have opened the gateway. I can now see the only way to make my plan work."

"What do you see?"

"It is as I thought. The boy."

"Seto?"

"Yes. It is odd that the one who would be chosen to help me carry out my plan would be one of the spirits from old Egypt. It is fitting somehow, that I shall be using the original enemy of the pharaoh to destroy the world. If only time could tell me where the pharaoh was now."

The gateway trembled, and then grew larger. A wind began to howl within the chamber, and the gateway leapt from its spot towards the center of the room.

"Darts, what's happening!" yelled Mira in confusion. Why is the gateway doing that?

Darts howled in frustration. "It is too big! It's going to change time if I don't do something!"

Yami Mira felt the pull of the gateway as it grew larger. It was too late. Time was already changing. There was nothing to be done to stop it. Yami Mira had to escape the pull of the gateway or else it would destroy her. She fled the chamber, and simultaneously searched the world for the millennium items. It was difficult, as their positions changed as time altered. Finally she found the millennium key, in the house of a man named Shadi. It did not matter. Yami Mira fled into the key, her essence followed by the gateway. She shielded herself from its pull within the key, and then, suddenly, the gateway collapsed. Yami Mira sighed and pulled her essence further within the key. She would wait for a while, and then go in search of the pharaoh. Now that time had been changed, she did not know where he was or if she was even needed, but in her heart she felt that the change in time had not altered the future for the better. Time rarely changed for the good when an evil force wielded its power.

"Darts?" asked Mira in a small voice. Her aqua hair was partially black from the falling cinders around her. The cavern had been nearly demolished from the wrath of the gateway, and Mira was frightened. She turned around and nearly screamed with surprise.

"Don't look so surprised Mira." Darts' eyes glinted dangerously. "It is still Seto. Go. Find him and report back to me. Do not fail. The world depends on this. You are under the oath of the Oricalcos. Do this for that power."


	2. Chapter 1: Family Ties

Sorry this took so long. I've been doing some revisions. Please send me your reviews. Thanks.

Chapter 1: Family Ties

Six year old Mokuba looked up from his sand castle to see his big brother Seto staring at Mira again, who was coming out of the office where kids went to get new parents. Mira looked sad as she came over to them. The twelve year old Seto looked at her anxiously.

"Well?" he asked, "what happened?" Mira shrugged.

She was pretty for being only twelve. Her hair was aqua colored, but what were most unnerving about her were her eyes. While one was as pale blue – green as her hair, the other was a light golden yellow color. It was easy to see why both Seto and Mokuba liked her. However, their bond went deeper than a mutual friendship.

They had met at the orphanage four years ago when Mira had protected Mokuba from some older boys, earning her the brother's instant friendship. Over the years she had become like family to them. Mokuba considered Mira his sister almost as much as Seto was his brother. They were so close that Mira had been included when Seto had gotten the lockets that the three now wore around their necks. The lockets were reminders of their bond.

They were shaped like Duel Monsters cards. Inside of these lockets were photos. Seto's held one of Mokuba and Mira, Mokuba's had pictures of Seto and Mira, and Mira's held pictures of Seto and Mokuba. The photos were current, showing Mokuba's youthful face, his long unruly black hair hanging sown his back. Seto had a dreamy but determined look on his face. He was playing chess, and was winning badly. He was not smiling, and his somber mood was increased by the uniformed jacket he wore. Seto had never been a normal boy. He was exceedingly smart, and had caught the interest of many adults who had wanted to adopt him, but none of them had worked out.

Seto now looked at Mira in concern. Ever since he and Mokuba had been sent to the orphanage and they had met Mira, Seto had become extremely protective, of Mokuba especially, but of Mira as well. He had sworn to protect them, and he always kept his promises. He had told them that he would never let anything happen to them, and that he would never let them be split up. He had kept his promise so far, although it had been difficult. Because of Seto's intelligence, he had attracted many who had wanted to adopt them. Seto had been able to prevent most of these wanted adoptions because he had refused to be split from Mokuba and Mira, and all of the adults had wished to adopt Seto only.

Mira knelt down in the sand next to Mokuba. "Hey Mokie, cool sand castle!"

Mokuba smiled up at her, his youthful grey eyes glinting in the sun. "It's not just a sand castle Mira. It's an amusement park with lots of rides and people!"

Mira smiled. "That sounds great Mokie!"

"Just you wait Mokie," said Seto. "We'll build our own amusement park. It'll be huge, and everyone will be able to come and enjoy it. We'll have the most famous amusement park ever! We'll all run it, and it'll be so much fun!"

Mokuba laughed with joy and hugged Seto. Mira smiled, knowing that Seto would keep his promise to Mokuba. He always kept his promises, until now, at least. But it wasn't his fault. There was nothing that could be done. Her brother, Dartz was angry with her because she refused to betray Seto anymore, and so he was pulling her out so that he could punish her. She smiled at Mokuba.

"Hey Mokie, do you have a name for your park yet?"

"No."

"You think of a good name for it while I talk to Seto, okay. A name is important for the most successful and famous amusement park in the world."

She got up and walked a ways to a group of trees where she had first met Seto and Mokuba. She watched a group of orphans laughing and sighed, crossing her arms.

"Mira, what's wrong?" asked Seto, who had come up behind her.

"Seto, the people I just saw… they want to adopt me." She turned away. _I can't tell him now. It's not time yet._

"What!" exclaimed Seto, "they can't!"

"They can Seto, and you know that. They said that if someone wanted to adopt me and not you that they could because we aren't blood relations. I'm leaving the day after tomorrow. I didn't want to upset Mokuba, and I don't know how to tell him."

"But, but that's too soon! Are they still here?"

"No. They're coming back tomorrow, but it doesn't matter. We only have one more day together."

"I-I'll talk them out of it. I have to! Mira, I swore that I would never let anything happen to you and Mokuba, and I never break my promises!" His voice had taken on a steely tone, and he looked determined. Mira knew that look. He would make sure she stayed, or die trying.

"Seto, no," said Mira sadly. "There is nothing that can be done. You knew that this would eventually happen. We both did. Seto, I do not want to leave either, but there is really no other choice." Mira's oddly colored eyes filled with tears. "One day Seto. That's how long we have. How am I going to tell Mokuba?" Mira stopped talking, and a tear slid down her cheek. Seto looked at her for a moment, then enveloped her in his small embrace. She cried into his neck, something she had never done before. Seto held her, unsure of what to do. He assured her that everything would be fine. After a time, she stopped crying, and pulled away from Seto to stare into his deep blue eyes. They were not icy, but a warm blue. "I love you Seto," she whispered. Then, she kissed him on the cheek.

Seto looked over at Mokuba, slightly red from the kiss. "We should tell Mokuba," said Seto.

Mira shuddered. "Okay."

Seto hesitated. "Wait, I want to give you this first." He opened a pouch on his belt and took out his Duel Monsters deck and pulled a card off the top. He looked at it for a long time, then thrust it at Mira. "Here, take this to remember me by."

Mira took it and gasped. "I can't take this! This is your Blue – Eyes White Dragon, your rarest card! You love this card! There are only five in the world!" Mira closed her eyes momentarily. _He's not even supposed to have this card. There are only supposed to be four in the world. This isn't right. I can't tell him. Why did I have to get involved with my brother's evil works?_

"Mira, please take it. Let it remind you of our friendship." Mira looked at him and nodded, then took out her deck. She pulled out two cards and handed them to Seto. _Even though he's not supposed to have these cards, I'm still going to give them to him. It's not my fault that my brother changed time. I love Seto, and I am going to give this to him. I am not like my brother, and I don't have to change my life because of him._

"Here Seto. Take these."

"But, but this is your deck master. You love your Black Luster Soldier. I can't take this."

"Yes, it is my strongest card, just as your Blue – Eyes is your strongest card. Now we will have a part of each other in our decks. Now come on. I have to break this to Mokuba."

They went over to Mokuba. "Mokuba, tomorrow is the last day I am going to be with you. I'm going away." Mokuba looked at her, not understanding what she was saying. Mira knelt down next to him. "Mokuba, I'm leaving day after tomorrow, and I'm not coming back. You can't come with me, and I don't know if I'll ever see you again." Her eyes filled with tears again. She was being forced to leave those she loved the most, all because of her loyalty and refusal to obey her brother. Mira was angry that her life was being ruined because of her brother. She loved Seto and Mokuba like no one else. Seto, who was the most loyal and determined boy she had ever known, and sweet Mokuba who climbed into her bed at night when he was scared after Seto was asleep.

Now he looked at her with his big grey eyes. "Never?" he asked, and there was a tremble in his voice.

"I don't know," said Mira

Mokuba stared at Mira, then flung himself at her, destroying half of his sand castle. "Don't go Mira! Stay with us!" he cried.

"I can't Mokuba. I have no choice." This time she was right when she said it.

"But I don't want you to go!" He cried into her as she held him tightly, not wanting to let him go.

"I know. I don't want to go either. I love you more than anyone. You're family to me."

"Will you come and visit us when we have our amusement park?" he asked, his tears starting to disappear?

"Maybe. I'll try." She said.

"Promise?" he asked.

"I promise."

"Oh, okay." Mokuba untangled himself from Mira and went back to rebuilding his sand castle.

Mira remained where she was, remembering all that had she had been through with these two brothers. It would all be over soon, and there was nothing she could do about it. And it was all because of Dartz.


	3. Chapter 2: All Gone Wrong

Chapter 3: All Gone Wrong

Dartz glared at Raphael, who was kneeling before him. "Do not fail me this time. Kill her, and take the boy. He is needed, and my plans shall not be thwarted by my pathetic sister."

Raphael got to his feet. "Fine. I'll be back within the hour." He crossed the chamber quickly and was gone. Moments later, Dartz heard the sound of Raphael's motorcycle being kicked into life. Dartz's entire plan rested on getting the boy Seto. Without him, it was possible that his plan could fail. It had been foretold that he needed the boy when time had altered its course, and it was now time to see that the vision came to pass. He needed to move quickly, for events were changing for the worse. His alliance with Gozaburo Kaiba had turned into a competitive struggle for power. Dartz had only agreed to work with the man because he had connections with the entire world, and Dartz had thought that he would need those connections to get what he needed, but he had realized that Gozaburo Kaiba would soon betray him, and that he needed to find his own ways to succeed. It was sad to see that someone who considered themselves so enlightened had absolutely no idea what was going on. If the Kaiba thought that he could overpower Dartz, he had another thing coming.

Raphael kicked the motor of his bike, and it fell silent. He killed the lights, not needing to see the building before him to know that what he was about to do was child's play, and quite literally. He wheeled his motorcycle over to the side of the street that served as the parking lot of the orphanage and parked it, knowing that none of these morons would ever check out the street this late at night. It was raining, and had been for several long hours. However, Raphael was used to much worse weather than this, due to his checkered past, and he found the whole situation slightly humorous. He had been employed by one of the most powerful people – no, the most powerful person on the earth, a man named Dartz. He held the secret power of the Orichalcos within him, and this magic was even older than the 5000 year old Egyptian magic. In fact, the magic of the Orichalcos magic was 10,000 years old. It was finally time to purge the world from evil. Of course, it would take some time to begin the capturing of souls. And Dartz had made it clear that he needed the boy Seto for his plan to succeed. Now his brat of a sister had stopped reporting to him about Seto, and all was going wrong.

Later that night Mira lay in bed, thinking about what was to become of her life because of her brother. It simply was not fair. Of course she knew that her brother was far from fair and good, which was why he had forced her life to become what it now was, and why he had forced her to betray the person she had loved the most. However, she knew that she could never have let her brother hurt Seto. He was not to be used. She refused to believe that time had told her brother that he needed Seto to make his plan work. She didn't even know if his plan was the right thing anymore. If he was making her do these things to the people she loved, then maybe his plan shouldn't succeed. Maybe she was not meant to help him fulfill it but stop him from finishing it…

"Mira?" came a scared voice from beside her bed. Lightning lit the room for a moment, and Mira could see that it was Mokuba. The peal of thunder that followed made Mokuba start. "Can I get in with you? I'm scared."

"Sure Moku." Mira sat up and moved the covers back so Mokuba could climb in. She covered them both, the laid back down. Mokuba turned around to face her.

"Mira, I don't want you to go, even if you will visit us. I want you to stay here with us. Will you stay now?" he asked hopefully.

Mira struggled not to cry as she replied. "Mokuba, I can't stay. I really want to, but I can't."

"But you're my favorite person in the world other than Seto! You saved me from those bullies the first day I was here!"

Mira remembered that day. She had only been at the orphanage for a week. Time had told her brother that the brothers would be arriving that week, and he had sent her there ahead of time. She had seen them come in, scared and alone. She had been watching them, waiting for the right moment to introduce herself. She hadn't counted on Seto going inside to get Mokuba a drink and leaving him to play alone for a few minutes. She also hadn't thought about the many bullies at the orphanage who had been waiting to hurt the newcomers. They had gone up to Mokuba and had started teasing him. Mokuba told them to stop, but they didn't. They had made fun of him, and had taken his toy plane from him, and were holding it above his head so he couldn't reach it. Watching this had made Mira angry. Mokuba couldn't even protect himself. She marched over to where Mokuba was crying and had planted herself in front of the boys.

"You give that back right now," she had said.

"Or what?" challenged the largest one, who was holding the plane.

"Or I'll take you out," said Mira.

"Oooohhhh, I'd like to see you try," he laughed. That was seconds before Mira had tackled him, knocking the plane from his hand. The other boys fled, and the one she had knocked down, who was all alone, suddenly didn't look so confident. He ran off, glaring at her. Mira had turned around and handed the plane back to Mokuba, who was wiping his tears.

"Thanks."

"No problem. If they ever bug you again, let me know."

"I don't think so. My brother can protect me."

"Oh, okay. Where is he?"

"He went to get us some water. He'll be back soon."

"What's going on here?" Mira had turned around to see Seto with two glasses of water. He was staring at her like she was from a different planet.

"Seto, she saved my toy from some mean boys that tried to take it away from me."

"Oh. Thank, you, I guess."

"Sure. Hey, what's your name?"

"I'm Seto, and this is Mokuba. Who are you?"

"Mira."

From that day on, their friendship had grown until they were almost family. Now her life was once again being controlled by her brother.

"Mira?"

Mira was jarred back into the present. "I promise that everything will be okay Mokuba. You'll see. Everything will work out."

"Okay Mira." Mokuba soon fell asleep, but Mira stayed awake, wondering how she was going to deal with this mess. After a while, even she fell into a light sleep, but was disturbed by dreams of her brother and loneliness.


	4. Chapter 3: Goodbyes

CHAPTER 4: GOODBYES

Mira was dreaming, a dream that she had experienced many times. She was in an underground chamber. It was old and antiquated, decorated lavishly in gold. Pillars stretched up to the ceiling, which towered high above her. Below her lay what looked like a huge coffin, with seven indentations in it. Only three of them were filled. It was odd. The items in the holes looked like a big compass ring, a necklace, and round eye shaped object. That was weird enough. However, the dream continued. A man stood in front of the coffin holding a set of golden scales. Around his neck was a large golden key. Mira stared at the key, as she was always drawn to it in the dream. A voice seemed to come from the key to penetrate her ears.

_Mira_. That was all the voice ever said. It was a woman for sure, and her voice was filled with a power so strong that it would make Mira vibrate. But tonight it was different. The man in possession of the key suddenly turned around and looked her in the eye. Then a wave of excruciating power emanated from the item, almost knocking her out.

_Mira, it is time_. Then, everything around her exploded.

Mira awoke to the screaming of thirty children as the orphanage burned. Mira realized that the explosion from her dream had been real. She jumped out of bed and saw that Mokuba was no longer beside her. She ran outside after she saw that all the other children were getting out safely, hoping that he was there with Seto. It was raining outside, which had not stopped the orphanage from burning. She looked around and spotted Seto, staring in panic at the building. Mokuba was not with him. She ran up to him and gasped out, "Where's Mokuba?"

Seto's blue eyes opened wide. His face paled visibly in the orange light of the fire. "He's not with you?"

Mira stared at Seto for only a second, then took of into the burning building. "Mira, no!" shouted Seto. He tried to go in after her, but one of the counselors grabbed him from behind.

"Seto, it's too dangerous! You can't go inside!"

Seto struggled. "My brother is in there, and so is Mira!"

"We can't help them right now. The fire department will be here soon. Until then, we simply have to wait. I'm sorry Seto."

Inside of the burning orphanage, Mira struggled to see. The smoke was thick and black, choking her. She coughed uncontrollably, her eyes streaming with tears. "Mokuba!" she yelled. There was no answer. She doubted he could hear her. Where would he have gone? Just then, she saw the vision of the key from her dreams appear in front of her. She shook her head to try and clear what she thought to be a hallucination, but it was no use. Then she heard the voice.

_Follow me, Mira. Trust me. I will take you to him._

The key turned, revolving until it faced the direction of what had once been the kitchen. She ran along the corridor, coughing, and hoping to reach Mokuba before she passed out. She heard a cry, and saw a tall broad figure in the firelight. She squinted, and caught a glimpse of the teenager just before he bolted out the door. She shook off the feeling of fury that threatened to engulf her. Dartz. He had sent Raphael. She reached the kitchen and burst through the door, nearly knocking Mokuba over. He was crying uncontrollably. She grabbed his hand.

"Come on!" she yelled at him. Now she had to find her way out. The key had gone. She was on her own. She put Mokuba on her back, as it was easier to carry him this was, and bolted through the door. She tore along the corridor, growing fainter by the second. Mokuba was only semiconscious, but awake enough to realize when they had reached the way out. Mira took Mokuba from her back, and pushed him towards the exit. As Mira took the step forward to bring her out of the fire with Mokuba, a heavy beam fell and hit her, slashing her across the face and knocking her unconscious. Mokuba had made it into Seto's arms when the explosion rocked the building.

"Mira! No!" howled Seto. It was the first time he ever recalled feeling so much emotion. There was no way that Mira would make it out alive. She was gone. "Mira," he whispered. A single tear slid down his face. Mokuba looked up at Seto in time to see it fall onto the sidewalk in the dim light. It would be the last tear Seto ever shed.

"Seto?" Mokuba looked confused. "Where's Mira?"

Seto took a shaky breath and choked out, "She's gone Mokuba. She's dead." Mokuba looked at the fire, then started to cry.

"She's not coming back, is she?" he asked in a small voice.

Seto looked down at his little brother. He looked so vulnerable, so small. "No, she's not. We're the only ones left now. Don't worry Mokuba, I'll take care of you," he said in a somewhat stronger voice. But inside, he was crying. He had failed. He had broken his promise, his oath to take care of Mira and Mokuba, and now Mira was dead, all because of him. Inside, his heart was hardening. He could have saved her. He had tried, but he had been stopped. How dare they stop him from saving her! She was a sister to him, and he had been told that he could not sacrifice himself to save her! The more he thought about it, the angrier and more closed he became. He held Mokuba tighter. He would keep his promise to Mokuba, no matter what anyone said. He would fight and beat anyone who tried to stop him from keeping his brother safe, and he would win. He would never again allow anyone to interfere with the wellbeing of his family. He stared angrily at the fire, which was dying out now that the firemen had arrived. As they put out the flames, something caught Seto's eye. Still holding on to Mokuba, he stepped nearer to the edge of the rubble that was left of the building. Someone tried to stop him from getting too close, be he shrugged them off and bent down. He grabbed something from the ashes, slightly burning his hand on the hot metal. It was the necklace that he had given Mira. He pressed the clasp, and it opened. The pictures of he and Mokuba were still inside, untouched by the flames. Seto clenched his hand over the pictures, then said, "There's no reason for us to stay here anymore. Don't worry Mokuba. I'll get us out of here, and as soon as I possibly can."


	5. Chapter 4: Ages Passing

Chapter 4: Ages Passing

Two days later, Seto and Mokuba sat in an empty classroom playing a friendly game of chess. Seto did not have his mind on the game, as he was attempting to find a way to get them out of the orphanage. However, he figured he could take his mind off it long enough to win.

"Checkmate!" Seto said.

"Wow big bro. You won again! And in only five moves this time! You're the best chess player in the entire world!"

Seto laughed. "You'd be best Mokie, if you would only concentrate."

"I could never be as good as you big brother." Just then, the brothers were distracted by something on the television.

"In other news, Gozaburo Kaiba, the owner of Kaiba Corporation has once again retained his title as the world's greatest chess champion in the national competition this last weekend. He has decided to donate a portion of his winnings to a local orphanage that was devastated by a fire several days ago. He will be arriving there later today to give the check to the owner of the orphanage..."

Seto became slightly excited when he heard this. This was it. Gozaburo Kaiba was the way out of this dump. He turned to Mokuba.

"Mokie, pack your things. I figured out a way to get us out of here. We'll be leaving today. OK?"

Mokuba nodded and headed off to his room. When he was gone, Seto began to ready himself as the hour approached at which he would take the next step, the one that would take he and Mokuba out of this horrid place and to one where they could be successful. He closed his eyes and reached into his pocket to feel the half melted necklace within it. "Mira," he whispered. "I will save Mokuba. I will give us a chance. Mira, you would have wanted it." He raised his head as he heard the arrival of a car in the round driveway of the orphanage. It was time. He checked to be sure that Mokuba was safe, then ventured outside in order to watch the arrival of the man who would change his life, and get him and Mokuba out of the orphanage.

Gozaburo exited his limousine to be greeted by a row of obsequious orphanage officials. As he passed by them to enter the main building, he stated to the owner, "I don't want any of those brats touching me."

"Yes, Mr. Kaiba," said the owner. Seto found it amusing that the owner should be seen now. He had never even been to the orphanage before. He had only come now to receive the money from the famous businessman. It served to show what all humans truly valued; money, and power. Seto shook his head slightly as he watched them pass by.

He was closely followed by several cameramen wanting to cover the donation onto a podium set up for the occasion. Seto couldn't care less about the donation. He knew that Gozaburo was a cruel man. He did not need Gorzaburo to be kind to him. He only needed to give him a chance to succeed.

About half an hour later, Gozaburo emerged from the building after giving gifts to some of the orphaned children. Seto immediately confronted him, full of icy determination.

"Mr. Kaiba. I have a proposition for you. I challenge you to a game of chess. If I can beat you then you have to adopt me and my brother."

Gozaburo and Mr. Slane stared at him in surprise. Then Mr. Slane said, "Little boy, leave Mr. Kaiba alone. I am sure that he cannot serve to be bothered by children at this point in time."

Gozaburo laughed. "Yes. I dont have time to baby-sit a couple of children. I have a business to run."

"Then you are refusing my offer?"

Gozaburo laughed. "No one has ever beaten me at chess. I never lose. What makes you think you can win?"

Seto smirked. "I never lose either."

"You've got confidence, I'll give you that. But I'm a busy man. I don't have time to deal with a kid like you."

Seto smiled slowly. "Well, then, I'm sure that the newspapers would love to know that the chess champion of the world was too scared to play with a kid that he could have easily beaten."

Gozaburo stared at Seto in hatred, but grew serious as he saw the grave look in Seto's eyes. The cold, calculating glare of Seto's ice blue eyes bored into his. He evaluated the boy, then sneered, "Fine boy. If I win, which I will, then I do not have to take you and your runt of a brother with me. You can't win a chess match with luck, and I'm not going to go easy on you." He glared at Mokuba, who had entered behind Seto and was clinging to him in fear. The anger within Seto swelled, then burst, flowing freely through him.

"That's all I ever wanted," Seto stated. I have a place set up for us to play."

"Now my child, come with me for a moment-" began Mr. Slane. However, Gozaburo halted him in mid sentence.

"No, no," he laughed mockingly. "The boy will be entertaining. I have more difficult work than this to perform in my sleep."

"Then do we have a deal?" asked Seto.

"Yes." Gozaburo followed Seto into a small room. There was furniture scattered sparsely throughout the room, and in the center sat a table with a chessboard already set up on it. Seto sat down, as did Gozaburo.

"What color would you like to be?" asked Seto, feeling confident in his ability to vanquish the egotistical man.

"Black. You need all the help you can get."

"Fine. It doesn't matter to me." He was aware of Mokuba clinging tightly to the back of his seat. _Don't worry Mokie. It'll be OK. I'm going to get us a new life. It's what Mira would have wanted us to do. She would not have wanted us to stay here._

"I have studied all of your strategies. I know all of your moves before you can even make them."

Gozaburo smirked. "Watching them is one matter. Actually carrying them out is completely different. However, for the sake of entertainment, as well as for the fact that I am in a good mood, I will allow you to move twice your first turn."

"I don't need your charity," Seto said angrily. "I only need one to take you down." He moved his pawn to E3, Gozaburo's usual opening move. This was in attempt to fake a four move checkmate. Gozaburo took the bait.

"That's my signature opening move. It's also the oldest move in the book. I invented the four move checkmate. Easily deflected." He moved ahead his knight to his right, blocking Seto's attack.

Seto moved his knight on his left side of the board. He knew that if Gozaburo saw that he was attempting to divide and conquer the board, he would easily deflect it. Therefore, Seto attacked the same flank again, drawing Gozaburo's attention away from his right side of the board. Time passed slowly. Twice Gozaburo almost saw through the farce, but each time Seto was able to place his attention elsewhere. He was determined to win. He had to. If he did not, he would fail Mokuba. He would fail Mira, and that was something he could not and would not do. There would be no reason for life anymore. Then it was his move again. He looked at the board, and realized suddenly that it was over. He had won. He only had one move to ensure his freedom. He had circled Gozaburo's king on all sides without his knowledge but one. He picked up his newly restored queen and moved it directly in front of the king.

"Checkmate," he said quietly, but with confidence.

Gozaburo stared at the board. His face slowly turned to one of shock, then one of utter anger and hatred. "What?" he stated sharply.

"I said checkmate. I win."

Gozaburo continued staring at the board. "No, no! How could I lose? How could I lose to a… I lost."

"Yes, you did," stated Seto coldly. "I believe that you and I had a deal. It is time to go." He turned to Mokuba. "Get your stuff. We're leaving." Mokuba did as he was told.

"How could you beat me?" he whispered.

"As I said, I memorized all of your moves. None of them were any different than they have ever been before."

_This child beat me. He's not even a teenager yet. He's just a kid! How – he is brilliant. Yes, perhaps he is just what Noa needs – someone to look up to, someone to compete with. This could work. His brother seems a sorry worthless child, but I suppose that I shall have to take both of them with me._

"Very well." He stood. "Let's go. Meet me at my car. Mr. Slane, I shall be back to sign whatever papers necessary to adopt this boy and his… brother." Mr. Slane simply stood slack jawed and nodded. Gozaburo then left, leaving Seto to himself for a few precious minutes.

_I did it Mira. I won. We'll have a new life now. A better one. The one you would have wanted for us. I just wish that you could have been here to share it with me… Mira. Finally, we are going somewhere where we can become successful, where we can live. I swear Mira, I will never forget you. You will be the reason for everything I do._ He touched the necklace in his pocket again, then went to gather his sparse belongings.


	6. Chapter 5: New Lives

Chapter 5: New Lives

The car ride back to Gozaburo's mansion was a silent one. Seto was watching the man who sat in front of them, waiting for his "father" to speak to them. He finally did.

"I will not have time to baby-sit a couple of kids. I have a business to run. Seto, you will begin your studies right away. Your tutor will give you a list of your classes. Your brother is to stay out of my way and out of the way of my people. Dinner is at six O'clock sharp. Do not be late. You shall then return to your classes, and your brother may do as he pleases until it is time for bed. I expect nothing but the best from you Seto."

Seto nodded, knowing that Gozaburo was watching him. He was determined to do well now that he had gotten himself a second chance at life.

"Another thing. I am not your father, nor shall you call me your father. You may call me your stepfather, if you must call me something, but be certain that you shall never call me your father. Is that clear?"

"Yes." Seto replied. Mokuba was too frightened to answer. It would be alright. Seto would talk to Mokuba later, after his studies, to get him used to the new idea of freedom.

The chauffeur pulled around the circular driveway of the mansion and stopped the car. Several servants came out of the house to open the door for Gozaburo, and also for Seto and Mokuba. The brothers got out of the car and silently surveyed the gigantic house. Several of the servants took their bags into the mansion. An odd looking man met them at the door, and looked mildly surprised as he saw Seto and Mokuba trailing behind him.

"Sir, was your trip…profitable?"

Gozaburo glared at the butler. "Show these two to their rooms. They will be staying with us from now on. Then show Seto to his first class. He will follow the same class schedule as… you know what to do."

"Yes sir." He stared at the boys with a froggy looking face. "Please follow me."

Seto and Mokuba followed the man into the manor, both slightly frightened. They were both determined not to show it, however, both for the same reason. Seto had had a conversation with Mokuba right after they had arrived at the orphanage. Mokuba had been upset about their parents leaving them, and was crying on the swings. Seto had told him to come on a walk with him so they could talk. It was during this time that Seto had given Mokuba some advice as well as comfort.

"Mokuba, don't cry any more. I know how you feel. We're not stray dogs or trash. Don't let people say that you are, and don't worry about those people who made us like this. I'll make sure you'll have a good life. From now on, I'll be your father. I'll protect you no matter what. So stop crying." Then he had said, "Listen—always be on your guard. You'll be finished if you show any weakness."

Now the time to heed that advice had come. They could not be weak. They would be finished if they showed any emotion. So they both set straight faces and walked into the house.

Four hours later, Seto collapsed on a couch in his room. He was exhausted. He had already been through five classes. English and History, Mathematics, Physics, and Philosophy. They had all been grueling. It had been so hard to stay awake. He had dozed off a couple of times, but the butler had been standing there, waiting for him to fall asleep so he could rap his desk with his pointer and startle him into awakeness. Now it was five fifty and he had only ten minutes to clean himself up and get to dinner. He had not seen Mokuba all day, and he was itching for his company. Perhaps after dinner they could go to his room and spend some time together. He dragged his overtired body into a sitting position and groaned. This was too much for him. He was only twelve, and only barely. It was only the first day, and he felt like he had been here for years. He managed to make it to the bathroom to wash his face, then changed slowly. He looked over at the clock to see that he had only two minutes to get to the dining room. He clenched his teeth in light panic and ran out of the room.

Gozaburo glared at Seto when he entered the room.

"You're late," he stated coldly.

"I know sir. I'm sorry." He made no excuse. He knew that Gozaburo would not care. He was right.

"Sit down! You will not be late again, do you hear me? I said it was at six O'Clock sharp. You will obey the rules of this household, or you will not be here much longer." He then calmed slightly. Dinner continued silently and without any further incident. Seto sat across the long table from Mokuba, too tired to even touch his food. Mokuba was looking at his older brother worridly. He already looked exhausrted and it was only their first day. Mokube hoped that Seto had made the right choice in bringing them here.

After dinner, Gozaburo got up to leave. As he left the room, he said, "You may have the weekends off, but you will work through the week. Is that understood?"

Seto gazed up wearily. "Yes."

"Good. You may return to your lessons."

"More?" Seto whispered after Gozaburo had left. "No more, please…"

"Seto, are you O.K.?"

Seto looked up at Mokuba, but did not smile. "I'll be fine Mokuba." He then got up and walked out of the room, leaving Mokuba to wonder why his big brother wouldn't smile, and why he wouldn't call him Mokie. It seemed that things were already changing for the worse.

Two weeks later, a grandfather pendulum clock ticked back and forth in the eloquently furnished study that was the classroom for Seto. Although the clock read that it was only three – thirty, Seto felt like it should be twelve midnight. He was beyond exhausted now, barely awake. He felt himself begin to nod off, the illustration of the atom structure blurring before his eyes. He was helpless to stop it. The voice of the schoolmaster droned incessantly in his ear, and became farther and farther away…

Suddenly a sharp rap on his desk startled him back into awareness. He jumped shaking his head to clear it.

"I am sorry for interrupting the lesson, sir," said Hobson, the butler, and also the person in charge of being sure that Seto was doing his work. He then turned to Seto.

"I have strict orders from Mr. Kaiba. He has no patience for slackers."

"I'm not a slacker -" Seto started, but he was cut off by Hobson.

"Until you catch up with Mr. Kaiba's lesson plan, there will be not time for sleep – that is, unless you and your brother want to leave this household."

Seto looked down in frustration, then determination. "I understand."

"Good. Please, carry on with your lesson."

Seto arrived on time for dinner that night, but again, was too tired to eat. As he sat staring at his plate, Gozaburo looked up from his to glare at Seto.

"I hear that you have fallen behind in your studies."

Seto looked up, startled.

"Therefore, you will no longer have the weekends off."

"But, but I've been working hard!" he said, upset. The weekend was the only time he got to spend with Mokuba. He couldn't lose that.

"Not hard enough," Gozaburo stated coldly. "You have no discipline. Discipline is the only way to crush your enemies."

Seto stood up angrily. "I have no enemies!"

"Of course you do! You have to learn that you cannot trust anyone, including me. Until then… Hobson!"

The butler entered the room to stand at Gozaburo's side. "Yes sir?"

"Confiscate Seto's toys immediately." He then turned to Seto. "Maybe that will teach you to concentrate on your studies, instead of wasting your brain away." He then dismissed Seto and Mokuba to their rooms.

When Seto got to his room, Hobson was there. He had put Seto's only toys – his chessboard, his backgammon board, and his go game – into a box and was on his way out. Seto stood there, his fists clenched in anger. Hobson turned to him with a sneer on his face and said, "It's for your own good." Then he left the room, leaving Seto to his despair. He knew that Mira would have wanted them to have a new life, but not this. Not like this. He reached inside his shirt and pulled out his chain. He opened it and sadly and looked at the picture of Mira – the only picture of Mira he had. It wasn't a very good picture – but he could still see the life that Mira had held, before she had… He then looked at the picture of Mokuba, his little brother that he never got to see anymore. He wanted to be with his brother more, but Gozaburo was determined not to allow them to be together. Seto was alone…completely alone…

From his room in another wing of the house, Mokuba looked at the light that was on in Seto's room. He was upset about their whole situation, and he wasn't afraid to say it. _The way they're treating Seto stinks. It's not fair. _Then he looked down at the Duel Monsters deck he held. _But I know how to make my big brother smile._ He heard footsteps coming in his direction, and he quickly hid the deck of cards in his hiding place, along with the special card he had made for Seto. As the door to his room opened, he made for the door as well, looking as if he was going out.

"Oh, Hobson. I was looking for you. Seto left his book. I was wondering if you could take it to him."

Hobson nodded and took the book from Mokuba. Mokuba smiled and closed the door to his room. That, at least, would make Seto feel better.

Seto collapsed onto the couch in his room. _If I see one more textbook, I'm going to barf!_ He sat up again as Hobson came into the room. He threw a textbook at him as he said, "You still have one more lesson until you can go to sleep." Then he left. After Hobson walked out, Seto angrily threw the book at the floor. But then he looked again. It had landed with the cover open, and Seto could see that the book had been hollowed out, and there was something inside. He went over to the book and picked it up. Inside was a note.

It said:

_Dear Seto, I guess you found my hiding place. Remember big bro, they can't take away everything from us. So enjoy my gift, but don't let them find it. Love, Mokie._

Seto went through the pages and to his delight found that Mokuba had hidden his Duel Monsters deck inside it! He went through every single one, smiling as he remembered his much he loved his deck, and the game. _Well, they're not the greatest cards, but they're mine._ Then he came to the last page. Inside there was a piece of paper with a drawing. Seto turned it over to find that it was a drawing of a Blue Eyes White Dragon, just like the one he had given Mira. It was colored in crayon, and Mokuba had colored out of lines, but Seto though it was wonderful all the same. He wandered out onto the balcony and looked up at the night sky. _I swear, one day I'll have another Blue Eyes White Dragon – a real one again. I will be the best duelist in the world, and I will be free from my Stepfather. _


	7. Chapter 6: Worlds Apart

Chapter 6: Worlds Apart

The night air was filled with smoke as Mira desperately carried Mokuba towards the way out of the blazing inferno. There was not much time left. Soon both of them would be overcome by the smoke and they would die there. Mira would not allow this to happen. Again, this was the fault of her brother. Even though she had not been in contact with him for some time, she had stayed current on all of his affairs through her own methods. She was aware that Dartz had been brainwashing more innocent people, his latest acquisition being a young teenager who had been trapped on an island alone for three years. The boy had just returned to civilization, and was famous. It was clear that Dartz had aided him in his rescue and therefore had been in contact with him for some time now. It was also clear that he had sent Raphael, as was the boy's name, to kill Mira and bring him Seto. However, it seemed that Raphael was unclear upon who Seto was. He must have thought that Mokuba was Seto. Mira had reached him just as Raphael had tried to take him away and had been barely able to stop him by collapsing several kitchen appliances on him. He had fallen, and Mira did not know if he had gotten out. Right now she could not be concerned with him. He had been sent to kill her, so she had no reason to care about him. Perhaps she would go back in and see if he was alright…

Suddenly she could see the entrance to the building. She pulled Mokuba off of her back and pushed him towards the way out. "Run Mokie! Run!" Mokuba staggered towards the exit with Mira close behind him. The ceiling was collapsing, and Mira was forced to run almost right on top of Mokuba to prevent the ceiling from falling in on him. Just as they reached the exit, a huge explosion rocked the building. Mira looked up to see Seto running towards Mokuba, then the explosion blew her in another direction, and that was the last thing she remembered.

Stephan had come into town to re-supply his ship before he headed out to sea again. Unfortunately he had gotten lost along the way and now it was dark. Since he was in the backcountry, there were no lights nearby. He supposed that he should go back the same way he had come, but he knew that he would never be able to find the small road that led into town. Instead he wandered deeper and deeper into a patch of woods. He hoped that it was small and that he would soon come to a building or town of some sort soon. He looked up at the bit of sky he could see. It was completely clouded and still raining, which was why he was so miserable. It looked like there could be a hurricane. In that case, he needed to get back to his ship quickly. Suddenly, he heard something coming his direction. He thought it could perhaps be a person, so he headed the direction of the noise. It was doubtful that there would be any dangerous creatures this close to the mainland. There came a thrashing in the bushes just ahead of him, and a young girl emerged. She couldn't have been more than eleven years old, although it was difficult to tell, as the girl was covered in ash and soot. She was staggering, and it was obvious that she was badly hurt. Suddenly the winds that had been building up all day exploded in a fury, quickly raising to seventy miles an hour. Stephen looked up.

"The hurricane," he whispered. Then he heard people yelling his name. He turned to see several of his shipmates racing towards him, covering their faces from the fury of the storm. He quickly looked back at the girl who was about to fall. He quickly collected her in his arms before she collapsed and raced to meet his companions.

"Quickly!" one yelled over the howl of the storm. "We must get back to the ship! There is not enough shelter here! Stephan, follow us!" They quickly turned and ran in the opposite direction that Stephan had been going. He followed as quickly as he could, which was slightly slower than normal due to the girl in his arms. He figured that he could find her parents after the storm was over. He just hoped that they were alright. He didn't know why she looked as if she had been through a fire, but he knew that the ship's doctor, Callista, would be able to tell him. They soon made it to the ship, the U.S.S. Doriado. They hurried on board and into the cabins below where they would hopefully be safe from the storm. Most ships never broke from the dock, even during a bad storm like this. They would stay in place throughout the storm. He immediately too the girl to Callista.

"Callista, I found her wandering around in this bad storm in pretty bad shape. It looks as if she was in a fire. I hope that her family is alright. See what you can do for her. I'll be back in a bit to check on her. I have to make sure that we don't get ripped to shreds out here on the water."

"Right Stephen," Callista said. She laid the girl down on the medical bed and immediately noticed the problem she was having with breathing. Smoke inhalation for sure. Nothing else could cause that sort of shortness of breath. Without delay she pulled out her respirator and placed the mask over the girl's mouth and nose. She then began to gently push some more oxygen into the girl's lungs. Once she had done this, she observed the burn wounds that had occurred when the flames had touched her clothing. They were not as serious as they first seemed, and Callista was relieved to see that the girl would most probably have no scarring from them. However, there was another matter. It looked like a beam or piece of sharp wood had fallen onto the girl and had left a stream of blood from her neck to her stomach. Upon further observation of the wound, Callista found that the wound was much deeper than it first appeared. It hadn't cut into any vital organs, but it would most definitely leave a long scar. Callista immediately went to the job of stopping the bleeding and cleaning the splinters from the wound. It was a long task as well as delicate, as Callista had to be sure that she did not puncture any vital organs as she worked. As the storm got worse and worse, the girl's condition improved, until Callista could finally rest. Stephen would be pleased that the girl would recover completely.

Just then, the ship jolted, causing Callista to fly from her seat to the floor. She quickly checked on her patient. She was relieved to see that she was still stable. She ran from the room in search of Stephen, who was supposedly on deck. Through the downpour, she was able to make him out.

"Stephen! What's happening?" she yelled over the din.

"We're breaking away from the dock! The storm is too strong. We're going out to sea, so hold on! We're going to have to ride it out out here! Get back below and stay with the girl!"

Callista nodded visibly and disappeared below. Stephen hoped fervently that they would make it out of this alive. No one had ever been blown out of the dock before. Being out at sea was the worst possible place to be during a full fledged hurricane, which this most certainly was. Stephan clung to the wheel of his ship, flinging it back and forth to ride the waves that were becoming more and more like small tsunamis every second. It was difficult to breathe, as the wind and lancing rain drove his breath from his body. He shouted commands to his deck officers as they disappeared further and further into the storm. Stephen hoped that if they did make it, they would still have most of their supplies. He had not dumped anything overboard yet, as there was very little to anyway. He gave the wheel a vicious jerk, and it finally turned, sending them into the strong surface current that had appeared. Stephen knew that they would be reasonably safe now, as not even the storm would be able to whip them from the current that it had created. The slipstream carried them quickly through the storm. Stephen stayed at the wheel all night long and into the early morning as the storm began to die out. He finally collapsed, as did the storm during midday. He was exhausted, utterly spent, and weak from the pressure and strength that Hurricane Davries had pushed on him. He barely made it below and collapsed onto a bunk in the living quarters where he fell asleep. Meanwhile, his crew set about to repairs. Stephen had ordered them to sleep before daybreak, so they were all reasonably rested and ready for the process of fixing their ship. They had been instructed to come to rest on the shore of the nearest land mass they found, but thus far, they had found none. It was clear that the slipstream had carried them further than they could have ever imagined. In fact, the realization that they were still in a weak slipstream did not evade them. They knew that Stephen would need to steer them out of it once he woke.

Stephen slept for an entire day. Early the next morning, Callista arrived with food and drink that Stephen's body badly needed.

Callista shook Stephen gently. "Stephen, Stephen, wake up. You need to have something to drink. Come on, it's time to get up." Stephen moved slightly but showed no signs of waking. "Come on Stephen get up." This was a command, not nearly as nice as the invitation had been. In the end, Callista was forced to use the water she had brought for him to wake him by dumping it over his face. Stephen sputtered and sat up quickly, seeing at once what Callista had done.

"I believe that I am going to fire you when we get to shore," he said jokingly.

Callista smiled. "Well, it seems that I'm safe then. I don't think that we'll be at any sort of shore for a while. It seems that the slipstream is still carrying us southeast." She handed him the food and refilled the cup of water. Stephen took it and relieved it of its contents.

"Southeast, huh? Great. If we've traveled as far as I think we have, then we'll be in Africa by the time we stop. There's no sense in turning around. That hurricane lasted three days, and we've been out here another two. If I'm right, then we'll hit the East coastline in a few days. Then we can re supply and be on our way back. I want to get our patient home as soon as possible. Her parents are probably worried sick about her.

"Do you want to talk to her? She's up, and doing well. I believe she really would like to meet you. She's sort of odd, in a way, buy I'll let you see that for yourself. Can you get up, first of all?"

Stephen smiled. "I believe that I can manage that." He struggled to his feet and put his arms around Callista's neck. "Lead on, my beautiful ship's doctor who I am soon going to marry."

Callista grinned at him. "Come now, why do you drag your feet such, my love? I would think that you would be eager to meet other young women of attractive proportions."

"Oh, I believe that you are far more attractive than any other young woman you could conjure. Your eyes are like the…"

He never completed his sentence, as Callista grabbed a pillow off of the nearest bunk and hit him on the head with it. "Please! None of your poetry! I can't handle it!"

Stephen laughed. "I guess I know how much all of my hard work is being appreciated now. Oh, how tragic it is to be a poet!"

"And the listener, to yours. Come on, let's go see our friend."

"As I said, lead on!"

They made it to the bunk room where the girl was staying and knocked on the door. She opened it quickly, and surveyed both of the adults who stood before.

"Mira, this is Stephen. He's the one who found you."

Mira stared at Stephen, and it was then that he noticed that her eyes were two different colors. One was a golden yellow, while the other was an aqua blue. These eyes now silently weighed his integrity. Then she smiled slightly.

"Thank you for saving my life Stephen. Callista had told me all about you."

"It was no problem. Now, I promise that we will have you back home within two weeks. Then we can find your parents and…" He cut his sentence short as Mira's face fell. "What's the matter?"

Mira dropped her gaze. "I have no parents."

"I – I'm sorry. What happened to them, if I may ask?"

"I don't know. I don't remember my parents. I was living at an orphanage when you found me. There was a fire, and I got caught inside. I don't remember how I got out, and found my way to you, but… so there would be no point in returning me. The place was horrible anyway. I really do not want to go back." She was sure that Seto would have found a way out of the place by now. If she went back, she wouldn't find them, and she would be telling her brother where she was so he could send someone else to kill her. No, her best bet was to stay with this man until she could find where Seto and Mokuba had gone. She needed them…

"I am slightly confused," said Stephen. "What then should we do?"

Mira took a deep breath. She knew that she would probably never see Seto and Mokuba again if she did this, but it was the chance that she had to take. "I owe you my life. I plan to pay that back. If I can, I will stay here with you and work as one of your deckhands. If not, then…"

Stephen looked at her in surprise. "You really want to work for me?"

"You saved my life. I owe this to you."

"You don't have to, you know…"

"Yes, I do. I promise I won't be any trouble. I already know a bit about ships and how they work and such, so I won't be as much as a burden. Please, I really don't have anywhere else to go."

Stephen considered the girl that stood before him. He did not know if this would be legal. Technically, she still lived at the orphanage. However, they did think her to be dead due to the fire. Stephen did not think for a moment that she was lying. She was the sort that you would be able to tell immediately if she was. He thought on. This was an extreme circumstance, and if he had learned one thing from his life, it was that in extreme circumstances, you sometimes had to break the rules. They were far out in the sea, almost to Egypt. Perhaps he would allow her to remain here. She could work if she wanted to, and she would have a decent life, at least, until she came of age and decided to leave.

He nodded. "Very well, Mira. You have yourself a new home. Welcome aboard the U.S.S. Doriado."


	8. Chapter 7: Fate's Hand

Chapter 7: Fate's Hand

They arrived in Port Said three days later. This was a relief to all on board, as they were running low on supplies. The storm had knocked around several of their water tanks and had caused them to leak, so they were glad to be going somewhere where they could refill. Mira was slightly excited, although still upset about being apart from Seto and Mokuba. However, she felt that she had made the correct choice, as she still did not know the location of her friends. She hoped that she would be able to find some contact in her travels who would know how to find them, and when she did, then would be the time to assess the situation, and perhaps leave Stephen. For now, though, she was bound to the green eyed and red haired Stephen. She owed him a life debt, and she was going to pay some of it off, at least.

It was uncontrollably hot in Damietta, which was the city closest to the port. The temperature had topped in the mid hundreds, which was the highest temperature the city had ever seen. The humidity was terrible. Mira was soaked from head to foot by the time they reached shelter from the elements. Luckily, a few of the nicer establishments offered refrigerated air, as well as refreshments. Mira was glad to get out of the heat, but eager to explore this strange new world. It was truly amazing how she was halfway across the world, in a country known for its ancient secrets. Mira wanted to make it a point to get out and observe the country a little before they set off again.

Stephen had been to Egypt before, so he knew where he could get the supplies they needed. However, now that there was no rush to get Mira home, he figured that the crew could take a few days and spend some time getting to know the country. The supply shop they needed to go to was in Cairo anyway, so they had some time before they would be able to leave the port. Stephen found them arrangements in Damietta, near the southern tip so they would be closer to Cairo. He told them that they would be able to go wherever they wished the next day. He had gotten several guides who knew the northern part of Egypt very well who had agreed to take the crew out in several groups. Mira, however, had other ideas.

They slept very well that night, due to the fact that they were no longer on the open sea where they were forever moving with the waves. It was nice not to feel the disorientation that came after disembarking from the ship. Stephen had sworn that the feeling would wear off before the end of the day, and he had been correct, much to Mira's delight. They had eaten at the restaurant in the hotel, and the food had been very good, and not what she had expected after eating only American food for the past twelve years or so. It was refreshing to be in a place with so much culture. She had hardly seen anything yet, but already felt comfortable in the country. It was truly a wondrous place.

The following morning, they all woke early. They ate a small yet filling breakfast provided by the hotel, then met with the guides to discuss the plans of the day. Callista wanted to see the open air markets of Cairo, as did many of the women on board. The men, however, wished to go to the Cairo Tower.

Both of the guides were open to this. "For the women, we shall go to Khan Al – Khalili. It is the largest open air market in the heart of Cairo. There are many things sold there such as rare spices, perfumes and jewelry."

"Yes," said the other guide. "And for the men, we can indeed go to the Cairo Tower. It is 600 feet high, and at the top is a revolving restaurant and bar. If you tire of that, then we can go to one of the museums. There is much to do in Cairo."

"That sounds good," Stephen said. "I will go order our supplies while you do that. When I'm done, I'll catch up to you. You guys have fun!"

Callista frowned. "Do you want me to come with you? I don't want you to be lonely."

Stephen smiled. "Don't worry so much. I'll be fine. Besides, you girls look like you need some fun. I'll be along in a while. Who knows? Maybe I'll bring you something." He smiled again and set off to order supplies. Meanwhile, the guides were organizing transport for the crew.

Mira, however, had spent much of morning studying the various ruins in Egypt, and had decided that she wanted to go to Giza, where the famous pyramids and sphinx statue were. However, she did not want to alarm the others by simply leaving. She turned to Callista.

"If it's alright, I'm not going to go with you guys."

Callista laughed. "You really want to spend your day with a bunch of men in a bar Mira?"

"No. I'm going to Giza. It's not that much out of the way, and besides, it's famous for its archeological ruins. I really would value that trip much more. I already know someone who will take me as a guide, and I assure you, I won't get into any trouble."

Callista laughed, then grew serious. "You really want to see old ruins that much? Well, I suppose that Giza isn't that far out of the way. Stephen wouldn't like it, but as long as you come back along with us, he won't even know that you weren't with us. Just be careful, okay? I don't want you getting hurt.

Mira smiled. "I'll try to stay out of trouble." _The problem is that it always seems to find me._

"Okay, we'll all meet back here at six. That gives us a good eight hours to get where we want to go. Ugg, I don't know if I can shop for eight hours. Maybe I _will_ go to the bar with the men!"

One of the other women grabbed Callista's arm. "Oh, come on. You love shopping. This is like a dream come true or something. There's so much to see! Let's go!"

"Alright, alright, we're going." She turned to the guide. "I think we'd better get going before these girls have a conniption."

The guide smiled. "Yes, ma'am."

Mira turned away from the group. She had hated t lie to Callista, but she just had to see Giza. Something was pulling her there, but she didn't know what it was…

She didn't actually have a guide, but she had picked up sever maps that morning, and had found that it was relatively simple to reach on foot, and could be traveled in only a few hour's time. Mira was thankful for the time alone. She had never had much time to herself, and when she did, she was always brooding. She did that now as she journeyed in the hot sun. It would get much hotter before the day's end. She was glad to have gotten water and food together for her journey. Now she was excited. This, perhaps, would alleviate the pain and guilt of losing Seto and Mokuba. She walked for several hours, taking in the culture and authenticity of the place. It was truly a sight to behold. There was indeed much to see. There were merchants selling their goods, there were dancers and performers, there were stands with food that smelled wonderful, yet foreign…

Mira became lost in it for a moment, reveling in this exquisite culture, when she saw the pyramids. She was now in the city of Giza. She could tell, even from here, that they were gigantic. She wanted a closer look, so she followed the path that had been worn for tourists like herself to the ancient historical monuments. As she walked, she could not help but notice that there were no other tourists, no other interested sightseers like herself that she could see. It seemed that she was the only one out to see the wonder of the world on that hot day. It seemed a bit odd. Surely there had to be others. But then again, it was hot, and off season for tourists. Perhaps this made perfect sense to the locals.

She suddenly found herself in front of the largest structure she had ever seen, that she remembered, anyway. It was hundreds of feet high. The walls were corroding, but otherwise still in fine shape. The overall impression it made was enough to take Mira's breath away. She stepped inside to see a row of what seemed to be coffins lining the first hall. The inside was well cared for, it seemed, probably by the government. There were ropes in certain places where she was not allowed to journey, and this was just as well. As she had said, she was not looking for trouble. She descended what seemed to be a sort of staircase into the catacombs. There were many more tombs here, as well as some explanations of how the Egyptian Pharaohs were buried with their most precious belongings. This intrigued Mira. After all, the pharaohs had been exceedingly wealthy. It seemed, however, that most of the treasure had been taken to museums and emporiums to be researched. This was such a shame. The pharaohs would not be pleased if they knew that their life's possession had been taken from their sides. Mira spent another few hours studying the pyramids, then stopped for a look at the famous sphinx statue which supposedly guarded the pyramids from dangers of the desert. Mira finally felt that she should be getting back. It was almost four, and it was still a two hour walk back.

She made it as far as the outskirts of the town before she felt that she was being watched. She whirled around and was just able to catch a glimpse of someone. Then they were gone. Mira knew that she should not go looking for trouble, but this was odd. She had felt that she was being watched before she entered the pyramids, but the feeling had disappeared. Now she was certain that she had been followed. She quickly turned and was startled to find someone standing directly behind her. She started, but then quickly calmed herself. She surveyed the man who stood before her. He was tall and thin. He was well tanned, implying that he was an inhabitant of this place. His eyes were a dark blue, however, which was odd for people of African descent. He wore a white turban and cream colored robes with whiter trim, and around his neck was…

"That key!" Mira gasped. It was the key that she had seen in her dreams when she was back at the orphanage. It was the one that had allowed her to find Mokuba so that she could save him. It was large and golden with an oversized loop at the top where a leather strip connected it around the man's neck. He simply stared at her, then walked away. Mira did not move for several moments. Was this a dream? Perhaps brought on by the heat of the sun? He turned back and looked at her again, and she knew that she had to follow him, even if this was a dream. She took a step in his direction, and he stopped and turned, shaking his head, clearly telling her not to follow him. Mira was confused. He did not want her to follow him? He was getting away. Mira sighed, took her heart in her hands, and followed him.

The man would have been lost at once as they hit the first wave of people, but his two golden earrings and bright colored robes gave him away, as these were not common apparel among the people. He slipped between the rows of small houses, heading away from the town. Mira followed him closely, but she did not feel that she would lose him, even if he did manage to slip away. She felt pulled somehow, attached to the key that he wore around his neck. He continued on towards the northern outskirts of the town. Suddenly he disappeared. Mira kept walking, even though she could not see him. She could feel that he was close. She entered a small alcove near a small hut, and nearly fell down a flight of what seemed to be ancient stairs. There was very little lighting, and Mira clung to the wall as she descended the stairs. As she walked, she noticed that carved on the walls were ancient Egyptian hieroglyphics and pictures depicting a pharaoh holding several golden items. There were also pictures of who Mira figured to be various priests and priestesses. Mira noticed one priest in particular. He had to be the head priest. He held a golden rod in his hand, and behind him was some sort of dragon. It was difficult to see what it was exactly in the bad lighting. Mira was struck by how cold and mean the priest looked. Mira was glad not to have met him.

She descended the final stair and gasped at what she saw. There, there in the middle of the huge room was the coffin that had been in her dream that had been haunting her. Then she remembered where she had seen the man. She had known he looked familiar, but now she knew. He was the man from her dreams, the one who had held the scales and the key around his neck. He was standing in front of the coffin now, and Mira could see the holes that she had seen in her dream. The difference was now that some of the spaces that had been filled were empty. The object that had looked like a compass was gone, as was the strange eye. However, several were still there. The man turned and stared at Mira. Then he spoke.

"You have come, although I did not wish you to. That was very foolish, child." He stepped closer to her. Mira swallowed audibly, but stood where she was. He halted only inches from her, then took the key from around his neck. Then he looked her straight in the eyes. "You have been chosen by the millennium key. You are to be its holder from now on." He put the key around her neck, and suddenly it exploded into light. Mira cried out as she felt something, or someone enter her soul and mind and settle there. She looked at the man, and suddenly could see into his mind. He blocked her out, but not before she saw who he was.

"Shadi…" She shook her head and found that she was on the ground. "Wh – what happened?"

Shadi looked down at her. "Do not misuse the power of the millennium item. It is stronger than you could possibly imagine. Use it only for good, or it could destroy you." He then turned and walked away from her.

Mira looked at him, wondering what she should do now, but she was answered.

"You may leave. And remember, the millennium items were made for good, and to serve the pharaoh."

Mira rose to her feet and turned around, dazed. She walked back up the stairs and out into the light. She turned around and looked back at the room from which she had just exited. It looked simply like a small hut, but she now knew that it was much more than that. She was slightly confused as she made her way back to Cairo. It took her slightly more time to get back than it had to get there in the first place, but nevertheless, she was back just as it turned six. She rushed to catch up with the rest of the group. Callista was the first one to spot her.

"Mira! Oh good, you're back on time. Did you have fun at Giza?" She said nothing of the key, as Mira had wisely hidden it before entering any major town.

Mira nodded, then said, "I'm really tired, though. It was a pretty long walk."

Callista smiled sympathetically. "You were probably exposed to the sun too long. You don't look too sunburned… You probably just need some rest. We all do. It was a long day. You wouldn't believe some of the things they were selling at the market. Some of them were so gross -"

"Callista, please don't mention that. Please. I think I'm going to be sick now."

Callista laughed. "Rebecca had a few problems with the merchandise being sold. Some of it was… distasteful." Mira smiled at that.

"We should probably be heading back to the hotel. Stephen and the rest of the men decided to stay a bit longer to see a show that is going on at the Cairo Tower. He said that they'd be back around eight or so, so we ladies have some time to clean up before we go out to dinner. Stephen made reservations at a good restaurant he knows."

Mira wasn't listening. She was thinking about the mysterious gift she had received. She could feel something stirring within her, but she could not identify it…It was an odd, and foreign power. She took out her deck of cards when she got back to her room, looking them over one by one. Some of them had been damaged by the fire, but otherwise, her deck was in perfect condition. She did this because she had felt this sort of power in her deck before. Were they somehow connected? She knew she had to find out more about this key, its powers, and the mysterious pharaoh that it had served…


End file.
